You’re moving on up and buying a house after living in an apartment for years. Congrats! Being a first-time home buyer is exciting but also a bit daunting when you think about all the space you now have to fill. You may have more room to stretch out, but you also have more space to fill.
How can you do that when trying to juggle a move in the meantime? Here are some tips on how to methodically furnish your new home – on your own timetable. You don’t have to do it all at once. In fact, you shouldn’t, because then you’ll be strapped for cash. And how can you expect to enjoy your new home and everything your town offers if you barely have enough cash left over from the mortgage?
Wait to Buy Until the Closing
Wait till you have signed on the dotted line at closing before you buy any furniture. Not only do you want to avoid large purchases during the moving process for credit and mortgage lender reasons, but you also don’t want to be left holding the bag if the whole deal comes apart. Then you have a lot of furniture and nowhere to put it.
Don’t Rush
Even so, you may want to move in first and get settled before you buy large pieces of furniture. Because your home is a long-term investment, you want to take time to acclimate to the space, develop new living habits, and determine what types of colors, appliances, and furniture will work best with your lifestyle.
Having some patience now is far better than buying large pieces of furniture and lots of décor that you may regret later. Take some time to flip through design magazines, browse furniture stores and look online to find inspiration for your next piece of furniture. Don’t just fill space for the sake of filling space.
Make a Budget
Just because you have the space doesn’t mean you should splurge. Taking on debt just to have a new sofa and some chairs is not always wise. Take the time to match your needs, wants and finances so you can make a thoughtful purchase that gels with your budget.
Get Some Tools
If you used to rent an apartment, you know that things can go wrong at any moment. A pipe could burst, the washer could quit, etc. Well, the same happens when you have your own home – but this time, you can’t rely on the landlord to fix everything. Now it’s up to you! This is why you should invest in some basic tools to fix midnight leaks or trim your landscaping when it gets overgrown.
Furnish High-Traffic Rooms First
While you may dream about that gorgeous dining room set you’ve been eyeing, focus on furnishing the most-used rooms first, advises Moving.com. You need a table and chairs to sit in the kitchen for meals more than you need fancy parlor furniture.
Try New Flow
You don’t necessarily need more stuff. You can try out different layouts to see what the flow looks like. Now that you have the space and the time, why not try out different configurations to settle on what works best with minimal financial investment?
Retain Small-Space Habits
You’ve been living for a long time without a furnished basement to fill or extra storage cabinets in the kitchen. There’s no rush to fill those areas right away. Recapture those small-space habits that can help you save money and live simply – at least for the time being. You can always make changes later as your budget allows.
Filling the Bedroom
One room that looks a lot larger without a lot of furniture in it is the bedroom. If you’re having a hard time making a large master bedroom look full, you can always use the extra space as an office, art studio, reading nook or yoga corner. You can buy furniture that matches the purpose of the room without getting too crazy. Make sure the room can be multi-functional, investing in simple desks, chairs, and other equipment.
Go Room By Room
It may cause you to get a bit stressed when you think of all the square footage you have to fill. But you can create a cohesive look with the right furnishings in time. Go room by room and take your time filing it with furniture. After all, the process is supposed to be fun! Come up with a budget and determine which room or rooms you will start with. Take it day by day and sooner than you think, the house will feel like home.
In Conclusion
Furnishing a home is a challenge if your new space is exceptionally large. No one says you have to fill it right away. The guest room isn’t as imperative to furnish as, say, the bedrooms and living rooms. Many people fail to make a plan and then end up furnishing their home too quickly. This leaves you cash strapped so you can’t actually enjoy your new home or even go out for dinner.
Plus, when you’re in a rush to buy new furniture, you may make a hasty decision on a set that doesn’t really suit you or that was too expensive because you didn’t wait for a sale.
Take your time, buy as you need, and everything else will fall into place.
Contact Best Fit Movers
Our movers can help get your new furniture into place. Just tell us where it goes, and that’s where we’ll put it. We have vast experience moving people out of small homes or apartments and into large homes. To get started, we can give you a free quote when you call us at 858-285-4534.
